My Little Pony (1982 toyline)

Last updated

My Little Pony
Original workToys
Years1982–1992
Print publications
Comics
Films and television
Film(s) My Little Pony: The Movie (1986)
Animated series
Television special(s)
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)My Little Pony

The first incarnation of My Little Pony toyline by American toy company Hasbro began in 1982 as a successor of My Pretty Pony toys. It went on to expand into a media franchise, beginning with the airing of a 22-minute syndicated animated television special in 1984 in the United States. This incarnation is unofficially known among collectors as "Generation One" or "G1".

Contents

Toys

My Little Pony
CompanyHasbro
CountryUnited States
Availability1982–1992

After the relative lack of success of the My Pretty Pony toy line, Hasbro introduced six smaller and colorful versions of the toy in 1982, sold under the title My Little Pony. The toy line lead to an explosion of merchandise under the My Little Pony brand. The pony toys were followed by winged ponies, Unicorn ponies, Flutter Ponies and Sea Ponies among others. Flutter Ponies were smaller and thinner than Pegasus Ponies, and had fluttering wings. The Summerwing Ponies are ponies that also have butterfly wings. Windy Wing and the Summer Wing Ponies were smaller than the Flutter Ponies and were proportioned in a similar way, with larger, butterfly-like wings. The Happy Tails Ponies are ponies whose tails move when squeezed. The Sea Ponies resembled seahorses, and were produced as both adults and babies. The Twice As Fancy Ponies are ponies with their bodies covered in symbols. The Merry Go Round Ponies are ponies that have blankets on their backs. Rainbow Curl Ponies are ponies with rainbow curled hair. Magic Message Ponies are ponies with heat sensitive Cutie Marks. Sunshine Ponies are ponies with hair that change color in the sun. Glow 'n Show Ponies are ponies that have glowing translucent bodies filled with bits confetti some of which glows in the dark. The Perfume Puff Ponies are ponies that have super poofy hair. The Candy Cane Ponies are ponies that have a candy scent and their hair are curled to resemble candy canes. The Sundae Best Ponies are ponies with an ice cream scent. The Rockin' Beat Ponies are rock music themed ponies. Dance 'n Prance Ponies are ponies with hair accessories. Precious Pocket Ponies are ponies that have 3D symbols with accessories. Tropical Ponies are tropical-themed ponies. Rockin' Beat Ponies are ponies that have music-themed symbols. Teeny Tiny Baby Ponies are babies ponies that are smaller. Peek-A-Boo Baby Ponies are the first babies to be able to turn their heads. Sweet Ballerina Ponies are ponies with movable limbs and head. Twice As Fancy Ponies are ponies whose whole flanks are covered in symbols. Loving Family Ponies are a family of ponies that consist of a mother, a father, and a baby. Drink 'n Wet Ponies are baby ponies that wet their diapers. First Tooth Baby Ponies are baby ponies with first teeth. Windy Wing Ponies are baby ponies with butterfly wings. Summer Wing Ponies are ponies that have fluffy manes and tails with butterfly wings. Newborn Twin Ponies are baby ponies that are two twins. Baby Sparkle Ponies are baby ponies that are translucent with sparkles. Baby Fancy Pants Ponies are baby ponies that have entire diapers printed on them rather than the normal symbol. Windy Wing Ponies are baby pony that have butterfly wings. Sweetberry Ponies are ponies with a berry scent and have delicious berry confections and as their symbols. There were also male ponies called 'Big Brother Ponies', which had slightly larger bodies and feathered hooves resembling those of Clydesdale horses. In addition, there are also female ponies called 'Sweetheart Sister Ponies', which are slimmer ponies, as well as Playtime Baby Brother Ponies.

Many other different sets of My Little Pony variations were produced, the first being the Rainbow Ponies in 1983. Other variations included the So Soft Ponies (covered in flocking), Twinkle Eyed Ponies which had rhinestones in place of eyes, Twice As Fancy Ponies with patterns covering most of the body, Sparkle Ponies which are ponies with bodies that are translucent with glitter, Brush 'n Grow Ponies which had a longer-than-usual mane and tail stored inside the body that can be pulled to a longer length, Pony Friends - animals designed in the same style as the ponies, such as a lion named Kingsley, a giraffe named Creamsicle, a kangaroo named Baby Hoppy, and a zebra named Zig Zag, among others including a llama Cha Cha, a moose named Oakly, a dinosaur named Cutesaurus, a camel named Spunky, an elephant named Edgar, a sheep named Baby Woolly, a panda named Baby Nectar, and a cow calf named Baby Leafy - and Baby Ponies, some of which were smaller versions of previously released ponies and presented as those ponies' foals. The first generation of My Little Pony toys was sold in the U.S. until 1992, and was marketed internationally until 1995. The final year of sales in the U.S. was advertised as the "celebration year" of My Little Pony. Others also include Dream Beauties, which look like realistic versions.

Mail-order ponies

All packaging came with Horseshoe Points, which could be used to obtain discounts on special ponies available only through mail order. The Horseshoe Point program was offered in both the US and UK, although the items available for purchase varied by country. Mail-order ponies were generally reissues like Majesty, which was previously available only with the Dream Castle Playset, or unique ponies such as the first boy pony, Lucky the stallion. Another line of exclusively mail-order ponies was the Birthflower ponies, which featured a pony for every month of the year. All had white bodies with pink hair and tails; their names were Carnation, Violet, Daffodil, Daisy, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Water Lily, Poppy, Morning Glory, Cosmos, Chrysanthemum and Holly. Special baby ponies, such as the Pearlized Baby Ponies and Twice As Fancy babies, were also available by mail order. Some mail-order ponies, such as Sweet Scoops, Goldilocks and Rapunzel are rare and sought after by collectors.

International ponies

Some companies were licensed under Hasbro to produce their own line of ponies instead of shipping them from China or Hong Kong, where the vast majority of ponies were produced; these companies were located in Argentina, Brazil, France, Greece, India, Italy, Macau, Mexico and Spain. Some of these ponies are very similar to their Asian counterparts. For example, the Italian Clio looks very similar to Glory, with the most obvious difference being a non-glittery symbol. Some, such as the Mexican Twilight are a variation on existing colors, poses or species, while others, such as the Greek Ladybird, are completely unique to their region.

Due to factors such as limited production and their condition, international ponies tend to bring a higher price than their more-common counterparts. Ponies from certain countries are also easier to find, while others, such as those made in Greece and Brazil, are more difficult. There are also international ponies which were distributed from China or Hong Kong, but made exclusively for a particular region, either a variant of the local ponies or completely new types.

Most ponies released in the United States were found in Western Europe as well. The majority of US domestic mail-order ponies never appeared overseas, although many countries had their own mail-order systems. Many of the excess ponies offered by mail order in the US were bagged, carded and sold overseas. Some of the ponies and playsets were given different names abroad; for example, the Big Brother Ponies were known as Adventure Boy Ponies in the UK.

Petite Ponies

Petite Ponies were tiny pony figures sold in sets. Some had different characteristics, such as brushable hair, pearlized or glow-in-the-dark bodies. Under the base of each was an engraved hoof, which allowed the pony to function as a key to the Petite Playsets. Most of these smaller ponies had no official name, and many had the same symbols. They were sold from 1989 to 1991; only Earth Ponies and Pegasus Ponies were produced.

Dream Beauties

These larger figures made of hard plastic were advertised as "grown up" ponies and called Dream Beauties. [1] Unlike My Little Pony toys, they looked more like real horses in proportions and musculature. The Dream Beauties came in a range of decorated and accessorized styles, including plastic beads along the base of their manes, ornamentation in the style of carousel horses, glitter or pearlescent finishes, and elaborate symbols, some extending the full length of the body. All were Earth Ponies, except for the three Highflying Beauties, which had large, multicolored wings. They were sold from 1989 to 1990.

My Little Kitty/Puppy/Bunny

Cat, dog and rabbit sets were sold under the Hasbro MLP logo during the early 1990s. Each Lil' Litters set consisted of a mother, two babies and a plastic comb. The mothers had flocked bodies, and the babies were miniature plastic figures. Kitty mothers had cottony tails, puppy mothers had either silky or cottony ears and bunny mothers had cottony tails and silky forelocks. There were also Nursery Family sets, featuring the puppy and kitty characters.

Takara Variants

In 1985, Takara (Later merged with Tomy to form a single company) released a line of My Little Pony toys, which were released in two types: Osharena Pony (おしゃれなポニー, Osharena ponī) and Kawaii Pony (かわいいポニー, Kawaī ponī). Only released in Japan, these are a more anthropomorphic take on the toyline and considered as the most rare of the "G1" collection due to how they were released.

Media

Mid-1980s animated features

As a part of Hasbro's media strategy, My Little Pony, along with their other properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe, was adapted into following animated features:

The TV specials, the film, and the TV series were all set in the same milieu: Dream Valley, a land inhabited by witches, goblins and other magical creatures with whom the ponies, their human friend Megan, and their dragon friend Spike interacted.

In 2004, the first season of the original My Little Pony television series was released on DVD. The four-DVD collection features the two prime-time television specials and 50 episodes from the original series. Some songs from the original airing of the two specials have been cut, leaving the specials as they appeared when syndicated as part of the cartoon series. The ten-episode miniseries The End of Flutter Valley was released on DVD in 2005. 2006 brought the release of episodes from the second season, with two DVD releases: Flight to Cloud Castle and Other Stories and Quest of the Princess Ponies and Other Stories, as well as a DVD entitled Two Great Pony Tales with The Magic Coins and The Glass Princess available in eight episodes.

My Little Pony Tales (1992)

My Little Pony Tales , premiered on July 3, 1992 on Disney Channel, was set in a different environment. This series anthropomorphized the ponies further than the works from the mid-1980s, as the ponies lived in a town, went to school, ran businesses, went on vacation and exchanged currency for goods.

Publications

Two British comic series were published by Egmont during the era.

Other merchandises

Besides the toys, merchandise included children's bedding and room decorations, plush toys, puzzles, clothing, books and playsets. There were also unusual items such as a pomander and toy sewing machines. In 1985, a picture disc featuring songs by Tony Markey was released.

During the 2000s, like other fictional characters of the 1980s, My Little Pony merchandise aimed at young women has also appeared, including T-shirts depicting "G1" ponies in a "retro" style, featuring slogans such as "Livin' in the 80s" or "I Love Rainbows".

Related Research Articles

<i>My Little Pony</i> Entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro

My Little Pony (MLP) is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature colorful bodies, manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks. Such symbols are referred to in the three most recent incarnations as "cutie marks". My Little Pony has been revamped several times with new and more modern looks to continue its appeal to the market, with each new look called a "generation" by the show's collectors and fans. The franchise is mainly targeted at young girls, although in the 2010s, it gained a cult following by an unintended audience of adult, mostly male fans.

Popples is a toy and television franchise created by Those Characters From Cleveland (TCFC), a subsidiary of American Greetings. Popples resemble brightly colored marsupial teddy bears with long tails ending in a pom-pom. Each Popple character transforms to resemble a brightly colored ball. In 2018, Popples was sold to Hasbro.

Micro Machines are a line of toys originally made by Galoob from 1987 and throughout the 1990s. Micro Machines are tiny scale component style "playsets" and vehicles that are slightly larger than N scale.

<i>My Little Pony Tales</i> American TV series or program

My Little Pony Tales is an American animated television series produced by Sunbow Productions and Graz Entertainment with animation being produced by AKOM. The series, based on the My Little Pony toys by Hasbro, weekly aired for 26 episodes from August 2 to December 25, 1992 on The Disney Channel.

<i>My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas</i> 2005 animated film

My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas is a 2005 animated Christmas film produced by SD Entertainment, and released on October 25, 2005 by Paramount Home Entertainment. It marks the first film appearance of the titular toy franchise since their big-screen debut in 1986. The DVD includes a bonus episode, Dancing in the Clouds, which is first released on video bundled with Star Catcher in 2004.

Littlest Pet Shop is a toy franchise and cartoon series owned by Hasbro and currently under license with Basic Fun!. The original toy series was produced by Kenner in the early 1990s. An animated television series was made in 1995 by Sunbow Productions and Jean Chalopin Creativite et Developpement, based on the franchise.

<i>My Little Pony: The Movie</i> (1986 film) 1986 film

My Little Pony: The Movie is a 1986 American animated musical fantasy film based on the Hasbro toyline My Little Pony. Theatrically released on June 6, 1986, by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, the film features the voices of Danny DeVito, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Rhea Perlman and Tony Randall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ideal Toy Company</span> Defunct American toy company

Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Betsy Wetsy, Toni, Saucy Walker, Shirley Temple, Miss Revlon, Patti Playpal, Tammy, Thumbelina, Tiny Thumbelina, and Crissy. The company is also known for selling the Rubik's Cube.

<i>My Little Pony</i> (TV series) American childrens animated television series

My Little Pony is a 1986 American animated series produced by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions and animated by Toei Animation and AKOM based on the My Little Pony toys released by Hasbro. The series featured as the first segment of a program called My Little Pony 'n Friends. The second segment would be an unrelated cartoon based on another Hasbro franchise – including The Glo Friends, MoonDreamers and the Potato Head Kids. The series debuted on September 15, 1986, nearly three months after the release of My Little Pony: The Movie, and ended on September 25, 1987. Two previous television specials were edited into segments of My Little Pony 'n Friends: Rescue at Midnight Castle and Escape from Catrina. The complete series of My Little Pony segments has been released on DVD in Regions 1 and 4. Other sections have been released on DVD such as "My Little Pony: The Glo Friends" as of 2023.

Bonnie D. Zacherle is an American illustrator and designer who now resides in Warrenton, Virginia. Zacherle is known as the original creator of the best-selling My Little Pony toy line. She is also the creator of Nerfuls. Zacherle has done some outside consulting for Bliss House, an American licensing consultancy, on the graphics and product development side. In 2003, she became a member of Women in Toys.

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> Animated television series

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. The series follows a studious pony named Twilight Sparkle, her dragon assistant Spike and her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash (Ball) and Pinkie Pie (Libman). They go on adventures and help others around Equestria, solving problems with their friendships.

My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure is a 2009 animated fantasy adventure film produced by SD Entertainment and distributed by Shout! Factory in collaboration with Hasbro. The film was released on October 13, 2009, in promoting the Core 7 toy line and is the final film released during the third incarnation of the My Little Pony franchise before Hasbro moved on to My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic in 2010.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls</i> Entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro based on My Little Pony

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, simply known as Equestria Girls (EG), is a product line of fashion dolls and a media franchise launched in 2013 by the American toy company Hasbro as a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the My Little Pony line of pony toys and its Friendship Is Magic television series. Equestria Girls features anthropomorphized versions of My Little Pony characters from that period; as with My Little Pony, which features a colorful body and mane, Equestria Girls characters sport non-human skin and hair colors, while incorporating their pony counterpart's cutie marks (the flank symbol) in their clothing. The franchise includes various doll lines, media tie-ins, and licensed merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Little Pony (2010 toyline)</span> Fourth incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise

American toy company Hasbro launched the fourth incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise in 2010. This generation is not given any name by Hasbro, but some of later releases of toys are labeled with the subtitle "Friendship Is Magic". It is unofficially referred to as the "Fourth Generation", "Generation Four" or "G4" by collectors.

<i>My Little Pony</i> (2003 toyline) Line of toys

American toy company Hasbro launched the third incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise in 2003. The revamped line of dolls was targeted to a younger audience than the previous lines. This particular era is often unofficially referred to as "Generation Three" or "G3" by collectors. Until the generation's end in 2009, there have been at least two minor revamps. A series of direct-to-video animated films accompanied the line-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filly (toy)</span> Hong Kong toy franchise

Filly is a Hong Kong-based toy franchise developed by Dracco Company. The franchise was founded by Jacob and Henrik Andersen, with further development and designs provided by Tine Norbøll. The target group is primarily girls aged around four to seven years.

References

  1. "Dream Beauties - My Little Pony". Ponyland Press. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  2. "Boxofficemojo -My Little Pony (1986)" . Retrieved August 24, 2010.